Fukuoka in Japan's Kyushu Island faced severe power cuts and disrupted traffic after a giant sinkhole appeared on a main road on Tuesday. Local authorities evacuated nearby areas to avoid accidents in case there are more cave-ins.
It was also reported that Fukuoka airport temporarily experienced blackouts due to this mishap, forcing ticket machines to stop working for a brief time.
Local media also suggest that local police and city officials informed the sinkhole gouged out the road near the busy Hakata junction at around 5.15am local time. However, there were no reports of injury.
The Japan Times reported that the site of the collapse was an area where construction work was ongoing to extend Fukuoka city subway system's Nanakuma Line. Police have also ordered an investigation to find out if the sinkhole was created because of the ongoing construction work.
While several TV footages from local media show that the sinkhole is filled with water from underground channels, police urge nearby household not to use gas, fearing gas leaks.
As many as 800 households suffered severe power cuts due to the sinkhole which grew to cover 20m in every direction by 9 am. The depression not only disrupted the traffic during the busy hour of the morning but also made the entire road impassable.
This is the second case of sinkholes from 2014 when about three meters of a road was caved in due to sewage construction works in Fukuoka.
